Mayday Parade

Mayday Parade

Mayday Parade is a US pop punk and emo pop band from Tallahassee, Florida, active since 2005. The group forms when two Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment, merge and begin performing under a new name. Its line-up includes Derek Sanders, Brooks Betts, Jake Bundrick, Alex Garcia and Jeremy Lenzo, with Jason Lancaster also part of the early band history.

Formation and early years

The band begins when members from Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment combine their resources and continue with the stronger parts of each group. Sanders becomes the lead singer, and the new line-up starts building a following locally and online. The band develops its early audience through MySpace, selling 10,000 EPs without label support and becoming one of the top unsigned artists on the platform. Its online reach grows to more than 50,000 friends and over 2.4 million plays.

Recording career

Mayday Parade signs to Fearless Records in 2006. Its first full-length release is A Lesson In Romantics in 2007. Jason Lancaster leaves the band after a songwriting dispute and later forms Go Radio. The group continues as a five-piece and releases Anywhere But Here in 2009, followed by a self-titled album in 2011.

Style and activity

The band is described as playing alternative rock, emo, emo pop, indie rock, pop punk and power pop. Its reputation is tied to energetic live shows and audience engagement, alongside a do-it-yourself approach that carries through from its early unsigned period to its later recording work.